Biocom Applauds Passage of Landmark Biomedical Innovation Legislation

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocom, the association for the California life science community, issued the statement below following passage of 21st Century Cures legislation in Congress. The bill passed in the House on November 30 by a 392-26 vote and in the Senate on December 7 by a 94-5 vote. This statement may be attributed to Joe Panetta, president & CEO of Biocom:

"Today, Congress approved historic legislation that will give hope to millions of patients around the world. The measure culminates three years of hard work and dedication from government, industry, the patient community, and many others, all committed to one goal: finding treatments and cures to the world's most dreaded diseases. Today, we are one step closer to achieving that goal.

"This landmark legislation addresses some of the most pressing challenges that currently hinder biomedical innovation and the development of the next generation of innovative products. The bill increases funding for research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including for the Precision Medicine Initiative, Cancer Moonshot Initiative, BRAIN Initiative, and regenerative medicine. It also makes much needed changes to our regulatory environment to ensure that patients have access to life-enhancing and life-saving medicines faster.

"While Biocom had supported additional funding for the NIH, we applaud this large-scale, bipartisan, and collaborative effort that will change the future of innovation in the United States. We look forward to working with the new Administration and Congress over the coming years on the implementation of the bill and on issues that were not addressed in the bill, including the reimbursement of telemedicine, remote patient monitoring services, and other emerging technologies, that together represent the future of modern medicine."

About Biocom Biocom is the largest, most experienced leader and advocate for California's life science sector. We work on behalf of more than 800 members to drive public policy, build an enviable network of industry leaders, create access to capital, introduce cutting-edge STEM education programs and create robust value-driven purchasing programs. Founded in 1995 in San Diego, Biocom provides the strongest public voice to research institutions and companies that fuel the local and state-wide economy. Our goal is simple: to help our members produce novel solutions that improve the human condition. In addition to its San Diego headquarters, Biocom operates a core office serving the Los Angeles market, satellite offices in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, and has a continuous staff presence in Sacramento and San Francisco. Our broad membership benefits apply to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics and diagnostics companies of all sizes, as well as to research universities and institutes, clinical research organizations, investors and service providers. For more information, visit us at www.biocom.org. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter (@BIOCOMCA).